


Malicious Replica

by Anonymous



Series: Magic Mirror on the Wall [1]
Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Established Relationship, Eventual Happy Ending, Fluff, I like making people suffer, Insecurity, M/M, Magic Mirrors, No real names, Reincarnation, Suicidal Thoughts, Yeah you read that right. Goodboyhalo
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-02
Updated: 2020-08-13
Packaged: 2021-03-06 04:21:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,797
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25647223
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: (Fic will not be using real names!)Skeppy could sense a growing distance between him and his significant other. They were fine before. They were happy to have each other. Still, something just wasn’t right.Bad kept waking up to hands on his throat. Strangely enough, the perpetrator vaguely resembled him.They didn’t know each other’s feelings, but they did know when it started.It all began with a mirror.
Relationships: Clay | Dream/GeorgeNotFound (Video Blogging RPF), Zak Ahmed/Darryl Noveschosch
Series: Magic Mirror on the Wall [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1859314
Comments: 26
Kudos: 181
Collections: Anonymous





	1. Antique

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Just a reminder that I'm only writing their personas and not the real people. If anybody in the story wants me to take it down or remove them from the story, then I will, especially Skeppy and Badboyhalo.
> 
> This does sort of take place in the "real world" but there will be many many deviations from the personalities and even environment.
> 
> Thank you for understanding

It was simple enough for the two of them. Of course there were a few bumps along the way, but here they were, moving in together.

Skeppy was running around the newly built house with wide eyes. With no furniture to absorb the sounds, their footsteps echoed loudly. Bad would have preferred if the clacking of their shoes against the floor did not reverberate throughout the house as it was quite irritating. However, he couldn’t help but smile as Skeppy sprinted into the kitchen. The latter was simply in awe at how new and untouched everything seemed.

“Oh my- Bad! How the fuck did you get this house when we’re both broke?!” Skeppy exclaimed. He was mildly fascinated by the double ovens and brushed his fingertips over the surfaces as if he wasn’t sure this was real.

“Language!” Bad chastised although he quickly moved on from the topic of profanity. He was unable to keep the heat from getting to his face when he fully understood Skeppy’s question. He looked off to the wall next to him in a sheepish matter. “We’re not broke, Skeppy. You make a lot of money already, don’t you?”

Skeppy snapped back, “Yeah, I do, but that doesn’t explain how _you_ bought this all on your own.”

Bad looked away from the wall and back at his partner who had now focused his attention on him. He felt his heart thump against his ribs as if it was love at first sight all over again. The early evening rays of sun poured through the windows, providing a warm glow on Skeppy. His usual dark brown eyes seemed almost like amber when they reflected the light. Even his tanned skin seemed to emit calm flame if Bad had taken off his glasses. It set fire to his heart in ways he could not describe despite knowing enough words to perfectly express his thoughts. If they were to make physical contact with each other, he’s sure he would turn to ash immediately.

Little did he know, Skeppy felt something similar when he stared at Bad. Unlike Bad however, even if he was being perfectly sensible and not spacing out, he could never think of anything to say. He shook his head and closed his eyes in order to regain his sense of reality.

Somehow that snapped them both out of their trances. Bad hid his face with his hands as soon as he recovered from his seemingly nonsensical thoughts. Seeing him flustered was enough to get a chuckle out of Skeppy. He walked towards Bad with a slight skip every other step. He knew that the footsteps would likely annoy his boyfriend, but he figured that it was fine since he hadn’t gotten any complaints yet. With a teasing grin, he simply said, “Baaad are you even there?”

A shrill eep escaped Bad’s lips as soon as he heard the other’s voice. “Uh- uh, yeah! Sorry, just not used to uhhh,” He struggled to cover up what he was really thinking. “Ah um- the house?”

It was blatantly obvious to Skeppy that Bad was thinking of him. The former may not be the absolute smartest person to exist but he was not as dense as people can make him out to be. If anything, he felt that Bad was more oblivious to things that weren’t reliant on academics. Whatever the case was, Skeppy was sure to be blunt.

“Not believing that one. You really suck at lying, dude.”

Bad tensed up in embarrassment, falling into a bout of stuttering. “I-I do not! Uh-ah-,”

Skeppy rolled his eyes at Bad’s persistence. “Oh my goood! Just admit you were totally undressing me with your eyes.”

Of course Skeppy knew that wasn’t the case. Still, he felt that the incoming reaction was going to be hilarious.

As the shorter boy had predicted, Bad was appalled. Apparently he was horrified enough to scream at the top of his lungs. “LANGUAGE! Oh my goodness, Skeppy! It’s not like that at all! I swear- oh my goodness- stop laughing!”

Skeppy was hunched over, holding his stomach and laughing uncontrollably. Bad’s reaction was absolutely perfect. The way his face went pink in a mix of embarrassment and irritation was something he wanted to see more often.

Bad let out a disgruntled sigh. He couldn’t be mad for too long, but what Skeppy had said made him want to jump out the window. That didn’t stop him from taking in his boyfriend’s laugh. He’s heard it a million times, but he still found it to be the most wonderful piece of music to exist. 

Ew, he hated how cheesy that sounded. He winced at his own overly romantic thoughts and decided to not think about them anymore. Skeppy’s voice was still bouncing on the walls, the echo never ceasing to exist. When Bad recovered, he crossed his arms and huffed. “Skeppy, stop laughing!”

The other boy’s wheezing took a minute to stop. Bad had no idea what was so hilarious, but he knew that Skeppy’s humor was just a tad different from his own. When the last of the echoing died off, they were left with a serene silence. Or maybe it was awkward. Neither of them knew what to make of it.

They didn’t have to ponder for long because Skeppy had broken the silence with another chuckle. “You still suck at lying, Bad.”

Bad rolled his eyes and looked at one of the kitchen’s windows again. “You’re such a muffin head! Don’t say stuff like that!”

Skeppy let out an exaggerated groan. “But it’s true!”

“No. No it isn’t!” Bad protested, covering his face once more.

“Then why were you staring, huh?” Skeppy’s brow was raised. He just wanted the other to admit what he wanted to hear.

Bad said the first thing that came to his mind. “It doesn’t matter.”

“Yesss it doesss. Just tell me or else I won’t move in!” It was an empty threat, but Skeppy knew that it might push Bad to answer honestly.

“What?! Skeppy! We- we agreed to this!” Bad was desperate to end the conversation, but he knew Skeppy wouldn’t give up until he confirmed what he already knew. “Ugh fine! I just- I just thought you looked...pretty.”

To be honest, Bad hated admitting the serious truth.

Skeppy was somewhat caught off guard by this. They had been dating for years now, but something about how genuinely Bad said it made his heart melt. Unfortunately all he could muster up was, “Ew, you’re a weirdo.”

“Hey! You were the one who wanted to know, you muffin!”

Skeppy laughed again, but to Bad’s relief, it was warmer and less humiliating. Bad didn’t bother fighting the small smile forming on his face. Skeppy looked at him with fond eyes. “You still didn’t answer my other question, dummy.”

“Huh? What question?”

* * *

  
  


The two continued to look around the house until the streams of light from earlier gradually disappeared and the stars began to peek out. Both of them were exhausted, but they figured that they could walk around a bit just to get used to the neighborhood itself. They weren’t necessarily unfamiliar, but it did no harm to make sure they wouldn’t get lost.

The house was part of new additions to an already existing neighborhood. Their block looked pristine and clean, but when they crossed to turn the corner, it became clear where the older homes were. Though they didn’t have the same cleanliness, Bad felt that they were charming. He had used up most of his money on their new home, but he didn’t tell his boyfriend that.

He didn’t want him to worry after all.

Eventually, their walk led them to a main road that led to the main part of the city. Bad was about to suggest that they turn around, but something caught his eye. A quarter of a mile away was an antique shop that stood next to a convenience store. Its exterior seemed to come from a different century entirely. He couldn’t put his finger on it, but there was an odd familiarity to the building. 

Skeppy waved a hand in front of Bad’s eyes. “Hellooo? You’ve been staring for like an hour now. Are you okay?”

Bad jolted and stared at Skeppy who seemed mildly annoyed. “S-sorry, just saw the antique shop. It’s...nice.”

Skeppy squinted a bit, but he didn’t question Bad’s behavior. “Uhh, do you want to check it out then?”

Bad shook his head. “We don’t have to if you don’t want-,”

“Whatever! I’ll race you there!” With that, Skeppy ran across the street, seeing as it was a red light.

“Skeppy! Be careful you muffin!” He ran after him, not even paying heed to his own safety. He reached out to grasp Skeppy’s hand

Unbeknownst to them, the light turned green. 

The only thing that had alerted them was the loud honking of a car that nearly hit the both of them. Instinctively, Bad let go of Skeppy’s hand and stumbled backwards. The car passed them by, obscuring Bad’s vision of Skeppy for a split second. He felt his heart sink at the thought of Skeppy getting hurt. 

Relief washed over him when he saw that Skeppy was casually standing by the door of the convenience store.

“Skeppy!” Bad yelled out with his voice slightly wavering. “You- you could’ve just died, Skeppy! You have to be careful!”

Said boy rolled his eyes and brushed it off. “Okay okay, mom. Shouldn’t you be more concerned for yourself though? You were in the middle of two lanes.”

Bad shook his head fervently. “I’m fine! I just want to make sure you are.”

They both remained silent for a bit, letting the roaring traffic speak more than them. Skeppy had no idea what to say. He was used to Bad’s concern, but something stopped him from saying his usual quips immediately. Still, he broke the silence as always.

“Okay then. I mean I can take care of myself. I don’t get why you’re so worried.”

Bad seemed disheartened for a moment, but Skeppy wasn’t too sure if that was real because the fallen look came and went in a flash. Then the usual distressed expression he would have when Skeppy did something reckless replaced whatever he saw before. Skeppy knew that he was just tired, so maybe that’s why he’s overthinking such a small detail.

“Skeppy, of course I’m worried! You could have gotten yourself injured or end up in- in a hospital! Or even worse! What if you died?!”

“I’m fine, Bad. See?” Skeppy spun around and shrugged. “I’m alive and well, right? If it makes you feel better, I won’t run across the street again.”

Bad opened his mouth to argue more, but he relented. “Good, I don’t want you getting hurt, you muffin.”

Skeppy smiled reassuringly. “Yeah, yeah, I won’t.”

Bad nodded and sighed. Not even he knew what kind of sigh it was. “So are you coming with me or do you want to get some snacks here?”

Skeppy already took hold of the knob to the convenience store and pulled the door open. “You know me. I don’t feel like being in some boring old timey place.”

Bad rolled his eyes. “It’s not boring. I find it kind of cute even.” He then waved to Skeppy. “I’ll see you in a bit then.”

Skeppy waved back and went into the store without saying anything else. Bad yelled out, “I love you!”

Of course he got no response. The door was already shut by the time the words left his mouth. He smiled a bit, thinking about how he and Skeppy were going to move in together soon enough. He could already imagine what it would be like. Maybe they’d argue about dinner across the kitchen island before cuddling while watching a movie on a year old couch in the living room.

He walked to the door of the antique shop. He could see a few lamps lighting up the place. Some looked like they came from the near past and others were older than he was. He opened the door, hearing a small jingle of the bell above. An older lady looked up from her book and set it down quickly.

“Hello there! How are you?” The woman’s wrinkles deepened when she smiled. She seemed kind enough to him.

“I’m doing well, thank you. How are you?” Bad responded politely.

“Quite fine, thank you very much. Are you here to look around?”

“Yes, that’s right. Everything looks pretty.”

The elderly lady nodded. Before going back to reading, she said, “Come to me if you need anything.”

“Thank you,” Bad said as he made his way around the quaint shop. He was fascinated in pretty much everything he saw. He was worried he might get stuck here for the entire night so he decided to make things quick. By the time he made his way to the back corners of the building, it had been five minutes at most.

He had planned on just glancing at everything at once, but when his eyes landed on a seemingly plain mirror, he had to pause. It was an oblong oval the size of his torso. At the top two sides where corners would be, two horn-like spikes were pointed inward like those of a demon. The golden frame was eloquent with patterns etched precisely underneath his fingertips. He traced over it, completely entranced by the object hanging on the wall. He was not sure why he wanted to stare further when it looked just like any other mirror, but he did.

His reflection was clear as day. Normally he would tear his eyes away from the image of himself. He wouldn’t say that he was ugly. He knew that to a lot of people, he was considered average and bland. That was fine with him. Still, he did feel less like a normal person and more like an ugly duckling at times, especially when other people had harassed him about his looks back when he first met Skeppy. He shook his head, not wanting to think about those few months of endless distress. Skeppy’s effort in reassuring him he looked perfectly fine would completely be forgotten if he did. The insecurities still lurked somewhere in his mind though.

Despite that, he didn’t feel disgusted by what he saw. It was funny to him, really. He was staring at a carbon copy of himself, but the reflection seemed perfect. He didn’t know why and he certainly couldn’t see anything that was different, but somehow he didn’t pay attention to any flaws and only focused on what he considered nice about himself.

The thought scared him just a bit.

He stared wide eyed at the portrait painted in the mirror. Maybe today was just his good day. Maybe he was just so happy all the negative thoughts subsided for the day. It didn’t make sense to him considering the fact that he had many better days, but the human brain was weird sometimes so the made up explanation will have to do.

Bad looked at another nearby mirror. It had a more bold grandiose look and seemed to be more exquisite. However his heart became heavy when he saw that the boy he saw in it was just the same as ever. Was that a pimple? No, it couldn’t be.

He glanced back at the first one, slightly surprised when he realized that the “perfect” him remained. Bad closed his eyes, not believing this could be real. There had to be a scientific explanation. Maybe it was because mirrors with different dimensions showed different proportions, he thought. Even ordinary mirrors do that, right?

Bad was still mesmerized by the reflection. Were his eyes always that green? Did his hair color actually look pretty? Was his skin really always so clear? These questions passed his mind rapidly as he took the mirror off the wall. Would Skeppy be mad if he spent the last of his money on this?

Making such an impromptu decision was not something he would usually do,

but it seemed like today was not a normal day.


	2. Ghost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bad buys the mirror and learns a little about it. However, emotions start to go haywire as soon as they return to the new house.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW// Mild language

“Th-thirty dollars?!” Bad exclaimed. He immediately put a hand over his mouth when he realized how loud he was. The poor lady didn’t deserve to hear him raise his voice, so he uttered an apology.

“Yes, thirty dollars. Sounds too good to be true, huh?” The small lady smiled at him with a small glint in her eyes. “They say that this mirror led a normal man to become a king. You wouldn’t believe me if I told you. All traces of the kingdom have been erased along with him.”

Bad felt the corner of his lips turn upwards. She seemed a bit senile, but he appreciated the enthusiasm. He peered down at the mirror in his hands, gripping it as if the effects would disappear as soon as he ceased contact with it. He looked back up at her and set the mirror down in order to fish some money out of his wallet.

While he was looking for the money, the woman continued to speak. “I found this in a family home that dated all the way back to...well I can’t quite remember. Strange how nobody uncovered this until I did. It was very well hidden inside a crack in the wall. Then again, there is good reason for that.”

He paused, already holding ten dollar bills in his hands. He hoped she didn’t notice the look of surprise on his face. Good reason? What good reason is there for hiding this? Why was he even buying this? It’s just a measly mirror. It’s not even worth much.

He now felt the need to reconsider why he was so hasty on buying such an insignificant item. He could just buy one in a local store, but here he was, caught within some sort of trance by looking at his own reflection. Even then, it didn’t make any sense on why someone would hide it. He grasped for an answer, but none came to him. There was nothing special about it, not anything that would cause someone to throw it away at least. If anything, it should’ve been kept on display for far longer due to how mesmerizing it was. Did it affect only him?

That didn’t matter.

Bad placed the money on the counter, barely touching the wood. She was just a woman who wanted to tell a story. He shouldn’t be overthinking this whatsoever.

As if reading his thoughts, she spoke. “Looks can be deceiving, dear, but I assure you that you’ll find some beauty in it. Everyone does.”

Everyone does.

Bad accepted this, and let her take the money. She waved to him as he began to leave the shop. The bell above the door rang again, signaling to him that he was stepping out to a different world. It was silly to him, but it really did feel like a different reality, warm but lonely.

The lower temperatures hit him hard enough for the need to close his eyes. His cheeks grew red from the wind lashing at him. He quickly recovered as it wasn’t too harsh for him to handle. He also saw that Skeppy was still in the convenience store, so he had a minute to think about what to cook for dinner.

He held the mirror up again, not entirely sure why. He involuntarily stared at his reflection again. It felt as if somebody across from him was cupping his face and urging him to look at himself. Bad was oddly comforted by the warm hold enveloping him. He wanted to slip into a long sleep right then and there, never to wake up again.

“Baaad!”

Of course he couldn’t just fall asleep. He had a whole life to live with Skeppy and he didn’t want to miss out on that. He lowered the mirror, noticing that the warmth he experienced vanished in an instant. It left him in the cold, windy night, surrounded by horns of traffic once more. Bad wasn’t bothered by this though. He was happy to see Skeppy again, no matter what the weather was.

“Hi Skeppy! Did you get what you needed?” Bad chirped enthusiastically, entirely ignoring the object in his hands now.

“Well duh, of course I did. I assume you did too because what the fuck is that?” He held up a plastic bag filled to the brim with snacks while pointing at the mirror with his other hand. He walked towards Bad in a calm manner.

“Language! And well I noticed this in the antique shop and I really thought it would look nice in the new house.”

Skeppy stuck a tongue out and sneered in fake disgust. “You want that old thing in our  _ ahem  _ new house?”

“Skeppy! Come on, it’s not that bad. I just- I just like it.”

Skeppy rolled his eyes. “Whatever, don’r come crying to me when you realize how much you suck at decorating.”

“Don’t say that! It’ll look fine, promise!” He huffed and hugged the mirror against his chest in order not to drop it.

“Uhh do you want help with that?” Skeppy asked, not really too concerned but still offering anyways.

“It’s fine. Don’t worry.” Bad’s grip tightened. Oddly enough, the idea of someone taking it away made him anxious. He forced the feeling away, knowing that he could trust Skeppy and he shouldn’t be so attached to something like this. It was far too unusual for him to ignore.

What was wrong with him?

The words echoed like the sounds of their shoes tapping away in their empty house. Unfortunately for Bad, he didn’t notice the soft glow being emitted.

* * *

Skeppy ran ahead of Bad, yelling about various things. Bad happily listened to his rants while walking at a slower pace. The moonlight made it easier for them to see where they were heading without the need of their phones, so he wasn’t too worried about his boyfriend tripping over anything in the dark.

The darker skinned man came to a stop underneath a streetlight. Curious, Bad caught up with him and tilted his head as he opened his mouth to ask why Skeppy didn’t walk any further. Before he could, Skeppy turned towards him and interrupted before Bad got a word out.

“Have you ever worn jewelry before?” Skeppy tried keeping his tone light and uncaring, but based on how suddenly he had said it, there was something more to it.

The question caught Bad off guard, to the point where he was stunned into a few seconds of silence. When he processed what was asked, he finally spoke. “What? Why do you need to know that?”

“No reason. Just wondering.” Skeppy tried shrugging it off, but the suspicion continued.

“Skeppy, are you planning on trolling me or something?” Bad didn’t know what to expect out of jewelry, but he knew that Skeppy could be creative with his tricks.

“No! Why do you always think I’m gonna troll you?!” Skeppy groaned and crossed his arms. “I was just wondering if you wore like rings and necklaces. That’s all.”

“No, why would I wear those? Besides, whenever you ask me something, it always ends up being some kind of troll.”

Skeppy groaned again, becoming annoyed. “Well, it isn’t for a troll!”

Bad was overall confused but Skeppy spoke again before he could formulate a response. “Let’s just...hold hands like normal couples or something.”

“Huh?!” Bad blinked in confusion, his mouth slightly agape because of how bizarre this was.

“You heard me! Just like hold my hand. Simple.”

“Skeppy, you’re being weird again. I kind of can’t hold your hand because of this.” He nodded his head towards the mirror.

Skeppy stared at Bad a while longer and pressed his lips into a frown. “Fine!”

He ran ahead again, leaving Bad to be just as confused as ever.

* * *

They arrived at the new house again, but of course they wouldn’t be staying there because of the lack of furniture. Both of their cars were parked right next to each other in front of the building. Skeppy immediately went for his and quickly got in to start it up. Bad on the otherhand decided to go inside the house again so he could leave the mirror there.

He entered the house, still wondering about Skeppy’s strange behavior. He left the mirror leaning against the wall of the entrance’s hallway. He turned around to leave but a tug of warm air coming from behind stopped him. A voice similar to his own murmured to him.

“Hey there, pretty boy.”

Bad screeched at the new voice and instinctively tried to elbow whoever snuck up on him. In doing so, he spun back to see what called out to him and fell back against the front door. A loud thump resounded and bounced around the walls of the house. Regardless of how empty and big the house was, he still felt small and cornered from where he was.

“Oh my! You poor thing! You seem so frightened by me.”

Bad was shaking, but he had enough courage to look up at the person who scared him. His eyes widened at the sight before him.

An unnaturally pale figure, an apparition if you will, towered over him. Its blue eyes bore into his soul, digging through his mind as if it was trying to uncover a corpse. It took a step towards him, and kneeled down to his level. Bad was frozen in his place, unable to figure out what to do. He could easily push this person away and open the door, but the creature’s gaze kept him in his place. The more Bad watched its movements, the more he saw how similar they were. Although the creature was not entirely human, it wore the same clothes as he did, albeit in different colors. The design of the hoodie was easily a copy of his own in white and blue rather than black and red. Even its expression was similar to Bad’s own down to the concerned eyes.

Noticing Bad’s fear, it smiled softly, almost comfortingly. It reached a gloved hand out to gently caress Bad’s cheek. “Oh dear, you’re so cold, aren’t you?”

Bad’s mouth was dry, but luckily he didn’t need to say anything in the first place. His thoughts didn’t supply him with any responses. He could only think of how warm the hand on his cheek was.

“I can see it. I can see everything you feel, the love, the excitement, the insecurities...” It trailed off and paused for a moment. Slowly, the small smile creeped into a sinister grin, crinkling his eyes in the process. The condescending squint made Bad’s blood run cold. All of a sudden, the hand on his cheek felt like hot fire singing his skin.

“It’s pathetic, you shithead.”

Bad couldn’t find it in him to scream language. How could he? This wasn’t the time for that. Instead, all he could feel was the frozen pit in his stomach juxtaposing with the fiery burn on his face. He screwed his eyes shut, praying for this to be a hallucination.

When the heat slowly left his face, he opened his eyes. The ghost-like creature had disappeared, leaving no trace of ever being there. Across from him was the kitchen window far down the hall. The moon’s face stared back at him, instilling a chilling fear in him.

Bad slowly stumbled up, relying on the door for support until he could get his balance back. He didn’t take his eyes off of the window for even a second. He almost laughed at how comically wide his eyes had gotten, but the horror never left him for long enough to get anything out of his mouth. 

He felt like he was going insane. How does someone hallucinate something like that? He wasn’t tired enough for that, was he? While he did think that was true, the whole ordeal left him exhausted to the point where he didn’t know if he could stand properly.

Bad slowly reached up for his cheek, his hand trembling as he did so. Unsurprisingly, he didn’t recoil at the touch. He left his hand there for a moment longer before lowering it when he felt safe. He let out a sigh of relief and chuckled nervously.

“I’m just being muffiny. What was I thinking?”

He grasped the door handle, but didn’t open the door. He frowned and headed back towards the mirror. It didn’t hurt to check. If anything, it would make him feel better to see that he was just in fact hallucinating the scalding feeling. Bad bent over, expecting just his normal face, only to be greeted by a scream inducing sight. 

A pure black patch sat on his cheek like mold on a rotting fruit. The new discovery ripped a bloodcurdling scream out of him. He was desparate to get it off of him and the only way he felt like he could was through digging his nails into his skin and scratching it off.

However, a loud slam of a door forced him to snap his head towards the entrance.

There Skeppy stood with an uncharacteristic look of panic etched onto his face. He held a boxcutter in one hand and a phone in the other. He looked frantically at Bad and the rest of the house. “What happened, Bad?!”

Bad held onto his face, still in clear distress. “I- Skeppy- There- there was a- a- a- ghost! And it- it sounded like me! It looked like me! It- it- Skeppy, my face!”

Skeppy’s fighting stance relaxed as he rushed to Bad’s side. “What are you talking about?! Calm down, Bad.”

Bad shook his head and pointed to his cheek, continuing to sputter incoherently. “It’s exactly what I just said! There was someone here and- and-,”

He looked to the mirror again, seeing that the black splotch had disappeared, replaced by red marks from his nails. He shut his eyes, feeling humiliated by his overreaction.

“Bad. Bad! Tell me what happened!” Skeppy was beyond worried by Bad’s behavior. He took Bad’s hand off his face, and glanced at the scratches.

Bad started to calm down, still feeling his heartbeat against his ribcage. He suddenly wrapped his arms around Skeppy, finding comfort in the other man’s presence. Skeppy was frankly confused, and he had no idea how to comfort Bad. Still, he hugged back, thinking that this might be the best way to go.

“I...I was just tired. Sorry, Skeppy, I didn’t mean to scare you. I saw something weird and I freaked out.”

“Bad, you said that there was someone else in the house. Where did he go?” Skeppy was still somewhat alert and made sure he had his phone on just in case he needed to call the cops.

“No, Skeppy, there’s nobody in the house. Don’t worry. I just…” Bad glanced at the full moon again. “I just didn’t get much sleep.”

Skeppy didn’t believe that one bit, but he left it alone. “We should prooobably still call the cops to make sure this place is safe.”

Bad shook his head. “It’s okay, Skeppy. Let’s just go home.”

Skeppy was reluctant, but he finally nodded. “Oookay. But do you want to stay over at my place?”

“No, it’s fine, Skeppy.” Bad’s regular tone and demeanor came back to him. 

Skeppy knew that Bad was a terrible liar, so he decided to believe that Bad was doing better. However, while Skeppy was a bit mean to Bad, he cared much more for the other than he would ever admit. Not that he ever needed to admit it. The fact that he and Bad were in a relationship was enough to make it clear how he felt about the other.

“Come ooonn it’ll be fun. Besides I live closer to this house than you do. When we come back, we won’t waste any time.”

Bad wasn’t in the mood to debate this, and he was grateful that Skeppy offered in the first place. The bubbly feeling he gets around Skeppy comes back along with all the other normal things. It almost seems like nothing had happened earlier. Bad was happy to pretend things were alright.

“Sure,”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So happy to see everyone reading this! Not sure how this chapter compares to the first but I wanted to get it out before I lose all of my motivation. When school starts, the updates might slow down tons so I want to do my best while I can.
> 
> Next chapter ;): They talk a little bit during the car ride. More characters will be introduced as time goes on.
> 
> Leave any feedback! I love reading your comments. They're kind of a fuel for me lolol


	3. Uneventful

The topic of what had happened in the house danced around them. Skeppy wanted to bring it up and add some humor, but seeing Bad so genuinely terrified brewed up some hesitance in him. It was not unusual for him to mess around with him when he was panicked, so to Bad it was somewhat strange that Skeppy kept silent.

The traffic continued on as usual, reminding them that the world moves on without them. They had all the time in the world to wait for a conversation, but it felt as if a bomb was ticking down. Skeppy turned on the radio to fill up the silence between them. The typical news buzzed around with some mentions of strange phenomena around the city. Skeppy and Bad silently agreed to simply listen to the enthusiastic reporters rather than talk.

“Well you see here, scientists around the area have theorised that this bizarre ‘other world’ is actually an invention of the past! We have only seen glimpses but they believe that the reason we’re seeing this world is because a highly technologically sophisticated society’s machine is malfunctioning! There is more to say about-,” the reporter’s voice faded away in Bad’s mind when he drifted off.

Despite not paying attention to the radio, Bad could hear the background static crawl into his mind. He wasn’t even sure if it came from the radio. It sounded more like whispers in a dark corner. He tried to convince himself that he was just tired after the terrifying hallucination he had witnessed.

When the buzzing didn’t stop, he looked at Skeppy. He let out a breath he had no idea he was holding. The seatbelt restraining him felt tight against his abdomen, but after taking a look at someone he considered closer than anyone else, he felt a calm wash over him. He felt less trapped and more secure.

Skeppy on the other hand was still anxious. He was focusing on the road ahead of him with a fierce concentration. It was highly unlike him to drive so seriously without jibes. Even he recognized that. He was worried about what Bad had seen. He wasn’t the type to just scream about nothing. Or maybe he was, Skeppy chuckled to himself. It was still concerning to know that there was the possibility of someone being in their house. What if Bad really did see a man before Skeppy burst through the door? The other possibility was equally as frightening to think about.

What if there wasn’t another person there?

What would that imply about Bad?

When reaching a red light, Skeppy looked over at Bad who was already smiling at him. Whatever magic was in that smile affected Skeppy greatly. He had nearly forgotten his unease just then because of how flustered he became when Bad smiled at him.

Skeppy couldn’t help but joke around just a bit to get rid of the heat on his face as the light turned green. “What? Are you going to troll me, Bad?”

Bad’s smile fell as soon as the words left Skeppy’s mouth. He groaned in an exasperated manner. “Geppy, please. I’m not going to troll you. How would I even do that?”

“Weeeell, you did say you saw a ghost. Remember when A6D was in my closet and you said to get some salt?”

Bad’s face heated up in an instant. He turned his face away. “Difference is! YOU were the one trolling me! You knew it wasn’t a ghost!” He paused and spoke in a quieter voice. “Besides...I know what I saw. I think there really was something there.”

“I thought you didn’t believe in ghosts, Bad.” Skeppy said with a deadpan voice.

“I don’t, Skeppy. I KNOW I saw someone! I heard his voice!”

“Right, right, now you’re going to tell me that you’re the ghost.”

“Skeppy, I’m being serious, here! I saw something or someone!” While Bad reassured at the house that he was tired, the more he thought about it, the less sense it made for it to just be a figment of his own imagination. He became increasingly panicked at the prospect of some random creature hiding in their house.

Skeppy stared at the dark road, not thinking too much. “Are you being serious?”

“I am, Skeppy! I’m entirely serious about seeing that thing!” The seatbelt slowly began to choke at him again. Maybe it was because he lurched forward as a reaction to Skeppy’s lack of belief.

Noticing this, Skeppy furrowed his brows. “Oh my god. You’re being absolutely serious right now?”

“For the millionth time, Skeppy, I am!”

The severity of the situation began to set in for Skeppy once more. His grip on the wheel tightened “Oh my god...what do we do?”

“You said earlier to call the police right? We’ll do just that. We might have to put our moving plans on hold.” Bad tried to level his voice, but judging by the slight peaks in volume, he was still overwhelmed.

Skeppy nodded, sighing with relief when his home came into view. It seems Bad also saw this as a sign to relax when he leaned back in his seat. Skeppy parked quickly and got out of the car hastily. Bad followed in suit.

They walked along side by side, hands brushing against each other. However they were fine with not holding onto each other. That wasn’t really their thing anyways, was it? Skeppy opened the door and looked at Bad to check if the taller man was alright. The latter was still pale from anxiety, but the color came back in the form of blushing when Skeppy decided that maybe hand holding could become their thing.

“Huh? Skeppy?” Bad scrambled for words when he looked down at their interlocked fingers.

“AAAAGH shut up!” Skeppy shouted in embarrassment. Hand holding was quite definitely not his thing.

“But I didn’t-,”

“Hanya!” Skeppy interrupted.

“Wha-,”

“HANYA!”

“Skeppy, you can’t just-,”

“LALALALALA”

Sometimes it felt like they were still just two friends talking over Teamspeak. To be absolutely fair, they’ve only seen each other face to face for two months, so physical affection was still a tad bit awkward.

They continued to bicker more, but it was brief enough for them to get ready for bed at a normal time. Bad had only slept at Skeppy’s place once or twice when he was too tired to go home. Most of the time he stayed at another friend’s house for the sake of less awkwardness between him and Skeppy. The latter may have grown slightly jealous, but they’ve sorted it out. Bad had to borrow Skeppy’s clothes for the night which was fine, but the hoodie constantly riding up his stomach due to the smaller size was irritating to say the least.

At least they were soft enough for him to get comfortable. They took turns in the bathroom and let the warmth ease back in. Bad had considered that maybe they should use older furniture to feel cozier, but at the same time, having something new for a fresh beginning might be the right thing to go with.

By the time Skeppy came out of the bathroom and settled on the couch, Bad had already put on a movie for them to watch. Skeppy had no clue where the latter had found it, but he wasn’t complaining. They both wanted to relax and forget about the possible dangers that laid ahead of them.

“Skeppy, why do you even have this movie? It doesn’t look like something you’d watch.” Bad asked after an hour of footage played in front of them.

Skeppy had long stopped paying attention to the screen in preference for whatever was happening on Twitter. He only looked up when Bad said something. “Uhh probably some sort of joke gift.”

“Well, it’s a stupid gift. There’s no way anyone could come up with this movie.” Bad, chastised.

“Come on, it can’t be that bad.” Skeppy shrugged at Bad’s assessment of the film.

“Skeppy, you literally ignored like half of this movie. Doesn’t that mean you think it’s bad too?”

“Just because I find it boring doesn’t mean it’s bad, Bad.” He found it in himself to laugh at his own pun. “You are seriously being overdramatic.”

Bad put a hand on his chest in mock(?) offense. “How am I being overly dramatic?”

“I don’t know. You’re just bashing on a movie for no reason.” Skeppy shifted from his spot on the couch and lied down, propping his legs on Bad’s lap.

“Skeppy, there’s no way you don’t think this movie is really really bad.” Bad pushed Skeppy’s legs off of him and crossed his arms. “You have to admit that there’s something wrong with this.”

Skeppy didn’t hesitate to lay his legs on Bad’s again after the other pushed him off. “I won’t admit it because it’s not bad.”

Bad stared at Skeppy in disbelief and pushed the weight off of him once more. Before he could say anything, Skeppy repeated his earlier action. “Skeppy, stop putting your legs on mine!”

“No.”

“Skeppy! Get off of me right now!” Bad said as he tried to set himself free from the limbs.

“Technically, I’m not on you. It’s just my legs.”

“You’re still on top of me!”

Skeppy repressed the laugh bubbling up in him with a hand. “Oh my god, Bad. You need to stop talking.”

“Why should I?” Bad asked, clearly not amused at all.

“Uh because I’m not going to stop doing this?”

“Oh my- look Skeppy, just get off of me.”

“Why do you have such a problem with it, huh? Are you afraid of my legs or something?”

“No- no I’m not. It’s just weird!” 

“How is this weird?!”

“It just is!”

“No, Bad tell me how this is weird!”

They shouted over each other, entirely neglecting the movie. Skeppy was persistent in his apparent quest while Bad was more confused than anything.

“JUST LET ME PUT MY LEGS ON YOU!” Skeppy yelled, practically kicking Bad at this point. When the words left his mouth, he cringed at whatever God made him say something so weird.

Bad huffed. He just wanted to end the weird argument there, so he relented. “FINE!”

“Thank you!” Skeppy shouted.

A silence washed over them quickly afterwards. There was no particular reason why Bad was so against such a small thing. It just happened to be what annoyed him. The bickering was just as meaningless as all of their past ones, so they were both used to the quiet calm that came after the storm of words.

The movie continued on, but neither of them were paying attention. Bad was too unhappy with the direction to actually watch anymore of it. On the other end of the couch, Skeppy was scrolling through Twitter once again. Every once in a while, Skeppy would look up and check on Bad.

The other man was also looking through his phone, smiling every once in a while when he saw cute art. Skeppy opened the camera on his phone and pointed it at Bad. He tapped on the button, expecting just a cute picture he would never show to him. Unfortunately things did not go that way for him.

Instead, Bad heard the shutter sound effect and whipped his head towards Skeppy to question what he was doing. Skeppy dropped the phone on his stomach and internally panicked. “Fuck-,”

The word slipped out before he could will himself to stop it. Bad gasped and covered his ears. “Language! What even was that?!”

He reached to grab Skeppy’s phone, but the darker skinned man had enough composure in him to snatch the device and hide it in his pocket. “Nothing!”

“What do you mean, nothing?! It clearly was something!”

And so a random picture set off another argument between them, but Skeppy was the one to give in and throw his phone at Bad’s face.

“Ow! Skeppy!” Bad held onto his nose in pain as Skeppy winced.

“Sorry, sorry! I didn’t mean to hit you!”

“Hmm, are you sure?” Bad asked, skeptical of whether or not Skeppy was lying.

“Just look at the phone!” Skeppy groaned.

Bad raised a brow and turned on Skeppy’s phone. The display showed 11:35 PM Wednesday, November 18 on top of the familiar wallpaper of more fan art. He stared at Skeppy when he saw that he needed to enter a passcode. “Skeppy.”

“You can’t get in? Perfect. You don’t need to.” Skeppy took it back while Bad tried to protest. “Look, let’s just go to bed or something. The credits are already rolling.”

Bad opened his mouth to deny it, but when he glanced back at the television screen, he realized that Skeppy was right. “Oh…I can see that.”

Skeppy stood up and stretched his arms over his head. “Yep, time to go night night.”

Bad nodded, but didn’t leave his spot on the couch. “Uh Skeppy,”

“Yeah?”

“Do you want to sleep in the same bed or?”

Skeppy was caught off guard by the question since they never really thought about it. There was a silent agreement that they wouldn’t need to be too physically affectionate even if they were dating. In the past they had only slept on each other’s couches or guest rooms.

Bad noticed the silence and waved his question off. “Skeppy, we don’t have to if you’re not comfortable. I was just curious.”

Skeppy turned around and awkwardly held a hand out for Bad to take. “No, it’s fine. I don’t get why you’re making a big deal out of it.”

Bad stared at Skeppy’s hand for a brief moment before taking it. “I’m not making a big deal. You’re the one who’s making a big deal out of this.”

“Yeaah too tired to argue. Let’s go.” Skeppy led Bad to his room and made sure to be as laid back about it as possible.

It wasn’t weird, they both convinced themselves. They were dating, so why would it be weird? Bad was the first to lie in bed. He didn’t realize how utterly exhausted he was until his head hit the pillow. He let out a yawn that told Skeppy it wouldn’t be that embarrassing to share a bed with him.

Skeppy hopped into the bed and sighed. Bad mumbled something incoherent as usual.

“What was that, Bad?”

"I said! I’m glad we’re finally sleeping together!”

Skeppy could tell that Bad was delirious just from the sound of his voice. He rolled his eyes. “Bad, don’t say it like that. We’re just sleeping next to each other.”

“Same thiiing.”

“No it isn’t.”

Skeppy waited for a response, but he was greeted with snores instead of a small quip. Skeppy didn’t feel too sleepy yet, so he pulled out his phone and opened up the photo gallery to see how the picture really ended up.

He stifled some laughter as to try not waking Bad up. It wasn’t necessarily that the picture was bad. He just didn’t expect it to turn out so _perfect_.

Bad was surprised as evident by the wide eyes and parted lips ready to ask about the sound he had just heard. Skeppy thought it was kind of cute. Was that the right word? Since when did he become so sappy? God he needed to stop being weird.

He put his phone down and fell asleep next to Bad. They didn’t snuggle up, but just being so close was enough for him. He slept peacefully without any interruption.

Bad on the other hand was not having the best time off in dream land.

He was surrounded by an unfamiliar fog. The only thing he could see past the white wisps was the cobblestone path that led into an unknown land. He took a step forward only to freeze up at the sound of wheels crackling towards him. Bad leapt out of the way and fell back onto damp grass. The dewdrops mixed in with his nervous sweating as he tried to make sense of what was happening.

“Are you alright?” a voice called out to him.

Bad looked up and saw a blurry figure standing over him. He blinked and nodded. “Y-yes I am.”

“Oh, that’s good. Aren’t you supposed to be inside a house right now?”

“Wait, why?”

The figure tilted his head and laughed. “So you’re not from here, huh. Well you better get inside the wagon then. It’s curfew time so we’ll just drop you off at some tavern and be off. Best you ask the locals about the rules.” The man reached out a gloved hand.

Bad reluctantly took it. He had a million questions racing through his mind. “Hold on! I don’t really want to be here. Where even are we?”

“Hah! Foolish question to ask. You don’t seem like a drunkard. If you really need to know, we’re-,”

Bad anticipated an answer, but the ground crumbled beneath his feet, plummeting him into a dark void.

The mysterious man tried to grab him, but the light of the fog faded away as Bad fell away. He screamed for help, but all he heard was his voice echoing back like when he was at the new house.

He landed on his back, hearing a sickening crunch somewhere in his body. There was no light around, but he could see his hands perfectly fine. He slowly lifted himself up and bit his lip in worry. “Wh-what?”

“Oh you’re a fucking idiot! How did you stumble into that place huh?! Can’t do anything right!”

The new voice resonated throughout the room, causing Bad to jump in surprise and fear. The pale creature from before appeared a few paces away from him. It grinned with delight and made its way over to him.

“I’m surprised. You’re super weak willed, deary!” it yelled obnoxiously.

Bad tried to back away, but he soon hit a wall colored the same as the rest of the darkness. “What do you want from me?!”

The creature came close to him and inspected him with a calculating glint. “Well you see...I guess you can call me a manifestation of your deepest darkest feelings.”

“There’s no way you are!”

“Oh but I am! Just look at me! I’m an ideal angel, aren’t I? I can make you the king of any country!”

“I don’t want to be a king! Get away from me!” He squeaked when the lighter duplicate peered into his eyes coldly.

“Shut the fuck up, will you? I’m trying to help you. I may seem very rude but trust me.” The wicked grin came back onto its face in an instant. “It’s the best way to push your ass.”

“Push me?!” Bad’s jaw dropped at the vulgar language this apparent angel used.

“Yes! Push you! Push you to become a better person! See, I can tell what you hate about yourself and if you follow my advice, you’ll get rid of those things!”

“How am I supposed to believe you when you’re being so rude!”

The being in front of Bad rolled his eyes and held a hand out in front of him. “I’m supposed to be rude, you dipshit. It’s to make you better. Now, shake my hand or else you’ll be left with everything that plagues you.”

Bad shook his head. “No way! I’m not going to shake your hand!”

“Hmm fine, I’ll give you an incentive.”

The creature snapped its fingers, suddenly replaced by the mirror from the antique shop. Bad wanted to be scared, but upon seeing his reflection, he felt safe and comforted once more.

The creature popped up from behind the mirror and grabbed onto the carved horns. “See that? That’s your ideal self. That’s what you can be you fucking idiot! I’m your friend. I only want what’s best for you and this just happens to be how it’s done for you.”

The mirror became transparent to the point where Bad couldn’t see his reflection anymore. Instead, he saw the other creature’s face replacing his own. “Now, the offer still stands my dear!”

Bad looked at the white fingers in front of him. The heavenly glow emitting from it gave Bad a reason to take the creature’s hand.

So he did.

The creature’s smile grew impossibly wide.

“The name's Good. Remember it well!”


End file.
